The US-led campaign to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein began early on 20 March, when air strikes rocked the capital Baghdad

Ground forces invaded from Kuwait. UK troops concentrated on taking Basra, while US troops moved on towards Baghdad in two main pushes - the marines from the south-east and the 3rd Infantry from the south-west

Fierce resistance was encountered in some towns such as Nasiriya, but forces eventually captured Baghdad's airport after fighting their way in on 3 April, then pushed on into the capital

Baghdad fell on 9 April, and the focus of the war moved to northern Iraq. US-backed Kurdish forces quickly took control of Kirkuk and Mosul, before the final key target, Saddam Hussein's hometown Tikrit, fell to US forces on 14 April